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Postdispersal Weed Seed Predation and Invertebrate ActivityDensity in Three Tillage Regimes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rocio van der Laat ,
Micheal D. K. Owen ,
Matt Liebman  and
Ramon G. Leon
Rocio van der Laat
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
Micheal D. K. Owen*
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
Matt Liebman
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
Ramon G. Leon
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: mdowen@iastate.edu
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Abstract

Field experiments were conducted near Boone, IA, to quantify postdispersalseed predation of common lambsquarters and common waterhemp in corn (2003)and soybean (2004) managed with conventional, reduced, and zero-tillagesystems. Seed predation in each tillage regime was quantified usingselective exclusion treatments during July through September 2003 and Junethrough October 2004. In addition, the activity density of ground-dwellinginvertebrates was estimated with pitfall traps. Choice and no-choice feedingtrials were conducted in the laboratory using the most abundant weed seedpredators found in the field to determine seed preferences of the potentialpredator organisms. The greatest seed loss occurred during July and August.In 2003, seed predation was lower in zero tillage than in conventional andreduced tillages, but no differences in seed predation between tillageregimes were observed in 2004. Maximum seed predation for commonlambsquarters was 53% in 2003 and 64% in 2004. Common waterhemp seedpredation reached 80% in 2003 and 85% in 2004. The majority of seedpredation was by invertebrate organisms. The most common invertebratespecies captured with pitfall traps were field crickets (Gryllus pennsylvanicus De Geer [Gryllidae, Orthoptera]) and groundbeetles (Harpalus pensylvanicus Burmeister [Coleoptera,Carabidae]). In 2003, field crickets were relatively more abundant inconventional and reduced tillage than in zero-tillage plots. In 2004, fieldcrickets were more abundant in the reduced tillage than in the other twotillage regimes. No differences were detected for ground beetles amongtillage regimes (P = 0.57). Choice and no-choice feeding experimentsconfirmed the preferences of field crickets and ground beetles for commonlambsquarters and common waterhemp seeds over the larger seeds of giantfoxtail and velvetleaf. Under field conditions, the activity density offield crickets was a significant predictor of common lambsquarters (r2 = 0.47) and common waterhemp (r2 = 0.53) seed predation. Positive relationships were alsodetected between the activity density of ground beetles and commonlambsquarters (r2 = 0.30) and common waterhemp (r2 = 0.30) seed predation. This research demonstrated that weedseed predation is an important component affecting weed seedbanks and thatcrop management practices that favor the activity of predators such as fieldcrickets or ground beetles could influence weed populations. Also, theresults suggested that tillage is more important in determining the numberof weed seeds available on the soil surface to predators than directlyaffecting predator activity density.

Keywords

Common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L.common waterhemp, Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.)Sauer.giant foxtail, Setaria faberi Herrm.velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medik.corn, Zea mays L.soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.Biological controlfield cricketsground beetlesintegrated weed managementseedbank

Information

Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 63 , Issue 4 , December 2015 , pp. 828 - 838
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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Footnotes

Current address: West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Jay, FL 32565.

Associate Editor for this paper: John L. Lindquist, University of Nebraska.

References

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